The Stars Incline Us
by C. Nichole
Summary: Kylo Ren, Roman playboy and former Commander at the end of his luck; Rhea (Rey), Vestal Virgin whom he happens to glimpse on his way to be tried for murder. Woken from a nightmare, Rey finds herself scouring the Roman streets for the man she must save, but why could her goddess possibly want her to save this man? Will Rey be able to resist the tempting and dangerous Kylo Ren?
1. Chapter 1

**2019 edits-Hey all! I'm just going through and breaking this up into chapters because reading through 20k is a pain in the ass.**

 ** _I am taking a loooooooooooooot of liberties with Roman mythology here, but let's have some Roman themed fun. I've kind of always been fascinated by the culture and history of Rome, so let's combine that with another obsession (Star Wars, Reylo) and boom, we get this._**

* * *

Kylo Ren had fucked up, and not his mother's private audience with the Emperor nor his father's fame could save him now. He'd been drunk, which wasn't so surprising. Kylo Ren was known for frequently drinking too much, which typically led to fucking too much. So it hadn't been much different from any other night, except for the fact that he'd gotten _too_ drunk, forgotten who he'd been with, made the _wrong_ patrician angry—a nobleman, favored by Emperor Hux—and with one wildly swung punch and a bad fall, the man had broken his neck.

Hux had jumped at the opportunity to eliminate Kylo in the ensuing scandal. What would have been a fine or exile with another emperor had ended up resulting in Kylo's death sentence. And Kylo had taken the blame for it all. His reputation preceded him, and he found that his friends disappeared, one by one, when the wrath of the Emperor was at stake. Once, Advisor Snoke had assured Kylo that he'd one day rule the Empire, but Hux had eliminated Snoke in a stunning power play that neither Kylo nor the ancient advisor had seen coming. Without Snoke, Kylo's star had fallen, and he'd become Hux's _next_ target.

Kylo knew that Hux's hubris would be his undoing, but now, none of it mattered. He was going to die and there wasn't anything he could do about it. Hux would have his revenge against him, though Kylo thought that death brought on by a childhood rivalry was a bit extreme, but Hux was a harsh man and took slights against himself very personally. He would never forgive and he would never forget, and now Kylo was paying the ultimate price.

Yet he couldn't bring himself to feel bad about it. So much of his adult life had been spent in pursuit of his obsession—continuing the legacy of strength that his grandfather, the renowned General Vader, had begun. Kylo was quite singular in that pursuit, but still, his past haunted the present. He often found himself seeking out the familiar haunts of his youth, where he'd unsurprisingly get himself into trouble. This time, his mother wouldn't be able to save him from the consequences of a brawl, even if he'd never meant it to go so far.

 _You never mean for anything to go as far as it does..._ the shadow of his former self reminded him.

He tried to clamp down on that voice, the one that picked at him and told him he could change, that he could reform, if only he'd smother out that darkness within. But there was strength in darkness, in doing whatever it took to get what he wanted—what he was entitled to. It had been foreseen. Kylo was meant to rule and, with Snoke's help, he'd thought to one day have Rome itself. But his luck had run out.

The guards roughly dragged him along, digging their fingers into the wounds that lined his arms and torso. He wanted to yell at them that he would walk, that they should know better than to touch an _Organa_ and a commander the way they did, but he knew it was no use. He'd have to bide his time and try for an escape en route to his execution, but he was half-starved from the week in Hux's prison and half-dead from the torture at the hands of his captors—what was he going to be able to do in defense of his life?

He tripped and the left guard— _Royal Guard—_ kicked the back of his leg and grumbled for him to hurry the fuck up.

"Hurry to my death? I'm sure you can understand why I'm not really interested in getting _there_ quickly," he replied, managing to get in some of the sass his mother had so desperately tried to train out of him. It never worked. She was just as bad as he, and his father had been even worse. Even when he tried to deny them, his parents would show themselves in the strangest places and times.

 _But father..._ A test. One of many to see what he'd be willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of greatness, his father had been a casualty of Kylo's devotion to Snoke's ultimate vision.

 _Regret. Regret. Regret._

And, in the end, none of it seemed to matter. Snoke was gone. Kylo would die. Hux would rule and the world would continue on without him. Kylo dipped his head back and stared up at the night sky. The stars shone down on him, cold and countless. He'd often dreamt of the stars and what it would be like to travel through the heavens, in the realm of gods. Perhaps it was his downfall—that he thought he was chosen by the gods to take his place as the head of Rome. Hubris, the very thing he accused Hux of. But he'd always been a fool.

"Don't I get one last turn through the brothels?" he joked on a cough as a flash of pain radiated through his chest—ribs hurt, probably broken. Soon, it wouldn't matter.

Nothing would.

He was sure that one of the guards was getting ready to give him a solid blow to the back of his head, but then the man stopped and both of the guards turned their attention towards something else—no, _someone_ else.

A woman. Dressed in white and _drowning in moonlight_. She looked unreal as the light reflected off her robes, casting her in an unnatural glow. He'd seen her kind before, mostly at the Coliseum in their place of honor, but none of the other priestesses of Vesta had looked as glorious as her. Even the guards were affected as they both seemed to be unsure of what to do next.

"My lady..." one of the guards started to say, clearly at a loss for words.

The vision before them lifted her chin and stared down her nose at them, daring the guard to say more. He was silent and time slowed as the strange moment passed between them all. Kylo looked into her young face, and wise, ancient eyes stared back at him. She was power incarnate, and she had complete command of the situation. All at once, Kylo knew that he was coming face to face with his salvation, but she was more than that. Every part of him that was still good, that still retained some of that purity from his youth, called out to her, was pulled towards her, as she seemed to be towards him.

The Vestal Virgin squared her shoulders and stared at the two guards that held him captive before uttering the words that would change his life forever.

* * *

Rey wasn't supposed to be in this part of Rome by herself—she'd even managed to dodge her _lictor,_ Finn, to take her journey alone.

 _He's going to be so upset with me..._ she thought. But there wasn't any time for that now.

She kept going, head down, the folds of her cape wrapped around her tightly. She hated this part of Rome. It was too close to the city walls and too far from her home in the Temple of Vesta, but a vision had awoken Rey from her slumber and haunted her with strange and terrible horrors. She _knew_ there was a reason why the vision had sent her so close to the gates: there was a man she was meant to see—a man she was meant to save– but for what purpose, she did not know.

 _Won't be long now..._ she thought to herself.

Her heart thrummed against the cage of her chest as her sandals beat against the slick stone road. She had to find him. She was his only chance at survival—without her intercession, he'd be beheaded. As she rounded a dirty street corner, she finally found him.

The man would have been handsome had he not been covered in his own sweat and filth. Dark hair and eyes and a pale, sickly pallor. His dark robes, covered in muck, hung limply from his body. His head was bowed and the two ruddy guards flanking him all but dragged him along the dirty road, their faces reflecting the strain of pulling the noncompliant prisoner along. Rey wondered how long he had been kept in the cells, but it no longer mattered. He was the one she was meant to save, she could feel it in her very soul. Emperor Hux's personal guards escorted him, decked out in the deep reds and dark leather of the Royal Guard. What had this man done to receive the ire of Hux himself?

Straightening her back, she pulled herself up before commanding, "Halt."

The man coughed and let out a low groan as one of the guards got in a final jab to the man's side before facing her. His harsh expression faltered as he whispered, "My lady..."

"If you know me, then you know what this means," she said, her words calm and steady, completely at odds with how she felt.

"But this man... The Emperor wishes..." the guard paused, looking to his backup for confirmation.

She could see the conflict working its way through his mind. As a Vestal Virgin, she was accorded a great deal of power, but this sentence was a direct order from the Emperor. Fortunately for Rey, she was strong-willed and not about to back down because some guard didn't understand her rights as a priestess.

"Who is an emperor, if not one chosen by the Gods? I am chosen as well, as is this man. To deny the Gods their justice would be folly. You know this man is free from his crimes, free from death on this day. You will deliver him into my care."

 _Wait, what?_ That wasn't part of it at all, but somehow she _needed_ to know this man. To see that he was safe before she let him leave her life once more.

"The Emperor must be informed," the second guard started.

"Then inform him after you've delivered this man into my care. My goddess has chosen to absolve him of his crimes."

What kind of world did she live in now that these guards were even considering going against the will of the Goddess? Once a Vestal Virgin absolved a man of his sins, he was free in the eyes of the Empire, but Hux seemed to believe otherwise if his guards were anything to judge by. Hux's influence grew day by day and Rey wondered when his desires would become a problem for herself and the other Vestal Virgins.

 _Hux has always had a fascination for your Order…_

Shrugging off her fears, Rey cocked her chin towards the prisoner—Kylo Ren. She would have known him by reputation alone had the entire city not been made aware of his sentence. Once he'd been a celebrated and ruthless commander for Hux's legions, the strong arm behind the will of the Empire, but for him to have fallen so far out of favor…

 _Snoke._

The word coiled through her mind and around her heart. The advisor had been well-known before his death, and Rey knew that Hux would have never ascended to the throne without the man's conniving. Had he once had a similar hand in Kylo's life?

"You will follow me to the temple and deliver him into my keeping. This is not up for negotiation."

Rey thought she saw Kylo smirk, but it was hard to tell with the way his face was covered in blood and scrapes. A look passed between the guards as they decided that arguing with her would get them nowhere, so Rey led while they trailed behind, their prisoner barely managing to walk as she led them back to the temple.

 _I've gotten this far, Vesta. What would you have me do now?_

But only silence answered her and Rey would have to wait to see what, if any, guidance the goddess provided.

* * *

An argument woke him from a deep, drug-addled sleep.

"This is pure foolishness, Rey. You _know_ who he is. What he's done!" a man hissed.

"This is the will of my _goddess,_ Finn! I live to serve her power. Without the force of her will guiding me, I'd be nothing. I have to trust her. Trust that this is right!"

He'd know that strong and determined voice anywhere— _the priestess._

"Rey, I'm saying this, not only as your _lictor_ but as your _friend,_ don't do this," the man begged.

"I no longer need your services today, Finn. Thank you. I'll call on you later if I have need of you."

Kylo knew a dismissal when he heard one, and he could have sworn he _felt_ as the other man tightened his shoulders before giving a curt nod and stalking off after murmuring, "Priestess."

Kylo smirked as his eyes finally cooperated and opened, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight that would greet his eyes.

She was _resplendent_.

Her skin was a sun-kissed beige, dappled with freckles. The white of her robes made her look otherworldly. Her dark hair escaped her head covering, tips curling around her cheeks as she walked closer to where he lay. Kylo Ren didn't know what god was smiling on him to make her walk towards him while he made his death march, but he promised that as soon as he could, he'd make an offering at the temple of Jupiter, to Venus—to every bloody God in the Pantheon if needed– just to be sure he was covered.

"Kylo Ren," she murmured, and he'd have gone to his death a thousand times over just to hear her say those words again.

Kylo tried to speak, but his throat was tight and sore, probably from screaming under the torture he'd endured. The vision before him walked closer, though he'd somewhat expected her to float. Kylo was surprised to find that there was a quiet sort of strength in the way she moved—like she spent time training for battle. This woman was strong, inside and out, and he didn't know why, but that humanizing effect made the emotion choke in his throat, prompting another coughing fit.

 _Who is she? Why have I never seen her before?_

If she was one of the Vestal Virgins, she would have been seated amongst the other priestesses, near the Emperor and his ilk on the podium, but he'd never seen her before. The priestess poured some water from a pitcher into a copper cup and slid silently onto a stool beside the bed.

"Drink," she commanded.

Kylo coughed as he choked some of the liquid down—it _wasn't_ water.

"It's imbued with herbs—mallow specifically. It will help your throat and insides heal," she assured him, and he supposed it made sense. Why would she save him only to poison him later?

Still, he thought he might be fine with sacrificing himself to someone like her. Kylo gingerly flexed the muscles of his body and found that his wounds had been cleansed and bound, and his robes had been changed as well.

Coughing to clear his throat, Kylo asked, "Did you tend to my injuries, priestess?"

A blush colored her cheeks, which he found infinitely endearing.

"Yes, well, I couldn't let you lie in your own filth. The last thing I wanted was for your wounds to become more infected. A fever could kill you in this state, you realize? And I couldn't save you only to let you die from something preventable..."

 _He realized_ she was rambling. Given that she was a priestess, she'd likely never seen a male body up close like this. And his _was_ quite male, he thought smugly, but he didn't want to upset his savior too much. Still…

"I realize. Tell me, priestess, how did you remove my robes all on your own?"

Though she was clearly strong, he was a large, well-muscled man. It would have taken more than one person to move him.

She scrunched her face a little before admitting, "I had help. My _lictor_. Who I swore to secrecy because you shouldn't be here," she admitted. "But I thought the goddess would make an exception considering it was her dream that woke me in the first place."

"Her dream?" Kylo asked, still distracted by her attractive blush. His mind wondered exactly how far that flush carried beneath her robes.

The priestess nodded. "I saw you. In my dreams. I knew I was meant to save you from your fate. Somehow our lives are entwined, Kylo Ren."

Kylo quirked an eyebrow. "Unfair advantage, priestess. You have the Gods and knowledge on your side. May I know the name of my savior?"

The priestess paused and considered before deciding, "Rhea, but I'm called Rey."

 _Named after the mother of Romulus and Remus, Rome's founding fathers. This woman has many connections to the gods,_ Kylo thought to himself. He found the name strangely fitting.

"How have I never seen you before?" he asked as his eyes trailed over her body.

The priestess cleared her throat, and this time _he_ had the decency to blush. He hadn't meant any offense, but he really was confused— _surely_ he'd remember someone like her.

"Perhaps I was beneath your notice," she offered, eyebrow raised, and he thought maybe that might be it.

Vestal Virgins were off limits, so he wouldn't have paid them more than a passing glance. What would a hedonist like him need with someone whose life was nothing but penance and purity? But he felt like she was hiding something. Perhaps she'd only recently come into her duties; didn't Vestal Virgins spent the first ten years of their vow training? He couldn't be sure, but it didn't much matter. She was here now. He'd _seen_ her, and he wasn't about to forget a priestess like _this._

"You've got more spirit than I imagined a Vestal Virgin would," he said before another coughing fit took over.

"Spend much time with Vestal Virgins, do you, Kylo Ren?" she countered as he calmed, but this time he couldn't resist the temptation to tease her.

"The women I spend time with, _priestess,_ are about as far from virgin as one can get. Not that I let that bother me."

He'd expected her to be scandalized, but there was more fire inside this woman than he'd anticipated.

"And I'm sure they're grateful for your many previous conquests. What is a man if he cannot please a woman?"

The grin that spread across his face was predatory. "Tell me, _priestess,_ what do you know of pleasure?"

She realized her mistake almost immediately, judging from the look on her face. She coughed into her hand as she stalled for time.

"I think this conversation has gotten completely off track and onto improper topics of discussion. Priestesses are no more concerned with pleasure than you are with propriety," she said, trying to shut down his snark.

"But you _do_ wonder? It is fine to dream, priestess," he assured her even as she bristled.

"I do _not_ need to be told what is and isn't..."

"But tell me, when you saw me in your dreams, what did you see? What was it that got this priestess out of her bed so late to save someone convicted of murder, no less? Hoping I could come and rescue you from a life of servitude and show you what I've been able to share with so many, many women before?"

He was all bravado, but she needn't know that. Having the upper hand was what had gotten him far in life—it was the position he was _always_ grappling for. But it was strange. Usually, he was casually dismissive with both men and women alike, but there was something about this woman, this priestess, that triggered a long-forgotten desire within him.

So, of course, his natural response was to smother that inkling and push her as far away as possible. Heartache and longing went hand in hand with his life—the last thing he needed was to get attached to someone who was utterly unavailable to him.

He expected her to ramble, to be ruffled, but the look that came over her face was one of complete calm and understanding.

 _Priestess..._ his mind supplied.

 _This_ was who she was, and no man, especially not a man like Kylo Ren, was going to shake her resolve and take this from her.

"My goddess wished for you to be saved, Kylo Ren. I saw your face and that smirk which hides a lifetime of heartbreak and disappointment, the shoulders that carry the burden of expectations you cannot possibly ever live up to, and the heart that breaks more and more each day. I could feel you and your fear. I could _see_ it with every fiber of my being. There's more to you than you pretend, Kylo Ren—more than the wicked presences you've surrounded yourself with. My goddess knows it and I know it. But the rest is up to you."

With one long, final look, she turned and left him alone in the little chamber. Alone with his damned thoughts and her words that circled in his mind. She was wrong and his self-destructive tendencies only proved it, didn't they? She wasn't the first person to try to save him, but her words haunted him and, for the first time in a long time, made him wonder.

Was there more to himself than he thought?

Was he simply a tool to be used? Or something more...?

And had this pure and perfect Virgin just picked at the core of what he needed the most and what he was most afraid of? He wasn't sure, but long after she had left, Kylo Ren laid in bed and thought of what it would be like to live in a world where he was no longer the tool, but something more than even he expected for himself.

Something a goddess, a mother, and a priestess thought was worth saving.

* * *

Quite clearly, the "Drowned in moonlight" is a nod to the late, great, Carrie Fisher. Jesus Frank Fucking Christ I miss her so much. Anyone else feel like they lost the greatest aunt they never knew they had? I'm so grateful for all that she gave of herself that I feel a bit selfish that it doesn't seem like it enough. She was enough, she was always more than enough, but I miss her, just the same. Oh, also the "I feel it too," OBVS Movie Kylo. Not me. At any rate, I took A LOT OF LIBERTIES with Roman history and the story in general here, so obvs if AUs aren't your thing... Get the to elsewhere! Big thanks to the RSSC for getting this all together and their help. This was super fun and forced me to actually, you know, finish. I'd like to go back and write some more anecdotes between Kylo and Rey (ALSO word count restriction, which is fine, but Jesus, I didn't realize that I would have so many feels about this AU lol), but we'll see if there's any interest for that kind of thing/time. Also, re: "vulnerable of positions," in Roman society, oral was urm considered unmanly, so Kylo's taking a hit to the collective manly ego because of course he doesn't give a shit about that kind of thing. Roman society was often strange. Anywho, thank you for reading and I hope, if you enjoyed, you'll leave a positive review! I love to connect with readers, so drop me a line or come on over to my super random tumblr pacificwanderer, where it's mostly Star Wars, with some fandom and random thrown in. Also! a huge shout out and thank you to red-applesith for so wonderfully illustrating this. Cheers!


	2. Chapter 2

It took him weeks to recover, all spent within the confines of his mother's home. With her hovering servants constantly picking at him, Kylo Ren thought that he might lose his mind.

"Master Ben," they'd call.

"Master Ren," he'd correct.

He'd long since abandoned his family name and its unwanted connections. He would make a name for _himself,_ Advisor Snoke had promised. But now...he wasn't so sure. What if Snoke had been using him all along, intending on claiming the throne for _himself_ while pitting Kylo and Hux against each other?

And speaking of Hux—after weeks of silence, a strange invitation had arrived through the hands of Hux's personal messenger, Mitaka. Slight and visibly uncomfortable, the sickly pale man had rambled through the Emperor's _invitation_ to his retreat on Capri _,_ but both the messenger and Kylo knew what it was—an order.

 _He's going to eliminate you away from the eyes of Rome. You're a threat._

But he would go, and this time the Emperor would come to regret his ego—Kylo would see to it.

More than the Emperor and Rome, Kylo found his idle mind drifting back to a certain priestess. Rey was starting to become something of an obsession, probably because she was beyond his reach. Kylo didn't need to be modest—women and men wanted him for his body and his name, but she'd only wanted him because her goddess had commanded it. There was nothing there that spoke of interest on her part, and it drove him to distraction. Who was she? Nothing but a virgin priestess that would live out her most beautiful and youthful days committed to a virginal goddess.

And yet.

He thought of her. That determination. Her blush. The way she looked at him like he was a _person_ and not the monster everyone thought he was. Why would her goddess direct Rey to someone like him? Someone without boundaries or goodness? To have him repent? Kylo snorted at the idea. No, he was too far-gone for that. And no matter. It was likely that he'd never have the opportunity to speak to her again. He comforted himself with this idea. But Kylo Ren never had been good at predicting the future, and the Gods only knew what was waiting for him next.

* * *

Weeks passed, and still, she thought of Kylo Ren. He hadn't been back to her temple since his mother's servants had collected him. Not once had he thanked her for saving him. If anything, he seemed angry that she'd kept him from being executed. What kind of man _wanted_ to die like that? But Rey knew little of Kylo Ren beyond rumors and even less about what to do with him.

 _Sinister._

 _Corrupt._

 _Lascivious._

 _Sin._

Words she had nothing to do with but tempted her curiosity nonetheless. What kind of man was associated with such depravity and yet was able to inspire such fierce devotion from his mother and _her_ goddess?

Lady Organa was tiny but fierce when she'd come to gather her son. Her fair skin crinkled around the edges as she'd given Rey a conspiratorial smile. Beautifully dressed in closer cropped robes than was the fashion, Lady Organa had an air of practicality about her that Rey immediately loved. This woman was a force to be reckoned with, and Rey had felt honored to be in her warm presence.

"I'd say that I am sorry for the trouble, but I am glad that you found it in your heart to save my son from himself," she said wryly as her servants had gone to gather him onto a litter and take him out of the temple.

Rey started to offer her own thanks, but Lady Organa continued, "Though, our family has always been great at getting out of sticky situations," she'd said with a wink.

Rey blinked. Had Lady Organa been planning on intervening with her son as well? She was known for being as fierce in her household as she was outside of it, and her wit and strength made her a force to be reckoned with even in the senate. Though women weren't, strictly speaking, allowed to intervene in matters of politics, Lady Organa hailed from a great political dynasty and had never let the limitations that others had tried to set stop her. Rey had never had occasion to meet her before, but now that she had, she liked what she saw.

"It was no trouble. I follow the will of my goddess, nothing more."

Lady Organa had stared at Rey, such fierceness in the gaze of such a petite woman. Rey felt as if she were looking through to her very soul—as if she was taking her measure and, for the first time in a long time, she worried about what the lady might divine.

"I think there's a bit more to it than that. We haven't met, but I've heard of you, Rey. Nor do I think it will be the last time we meet, either."

Rey wondered why, but it might have had something to do with her original dedication to the goddess. Unlike most priestesses, Rey hadn't come from an influential family. Actually, she'd been an orphan who'd dared to speak out about the inequality and suffering of the poor class—and earned herself a very public punishment for her trouble. But a Vestal Virgin had been near that day and had taken Rey in, bathing and clothing her. She'd been a Vestal Virgin ever since, but she was still known for her strength and inability to let injustice stand. Her fiery spirit was one of the reasons the Emperor knew her _personally._ Too many times she'd let her tongue get the better of her and she'd caught his eye as a consequence. Now, she'd gone and gotten herself the attention of another notorious man, but for that, she couldn't quite bring herself to regret it. Not when his mother was so wonderful and obviously happy with her son's safety.

"My Goddess blesses me, as she does all devoted followers," Rey recited by rote, and Lady Organa had chuckled.

"Ah, but sometimes the will of the Gods does set us on some interesting paths, doesn't it? I, for one, am glad that you've crossed paths with my son. The Gods know he could use a good influence in his life—or twelve."

Rey had laughed. Lady Organa really wasn't afraid to speak her mind, and it heartened her. In a world where many women were expected to behave according to certain standards, Lady Organa and her refusal to conform were a breath of fresh air.

As Lady Organa had left, she'd invited Rey to her personal home for a proper opportunity to thank her, but Rey had politely declined. It wouldn't be a good idea to go and get attached to people outside of the temple. Those sorts of attachments never ended well and always bred resentment for the oath.

So for a time, things had gone back to their predictable routine, and Rey convinced herself that she'd never have to see the frustrating Kylo Ren again. As spring turned into summer, the games were approaching, and Rey knew she'd not be able to hide from Emperor Hux in her temple much longer. Her presence was required at the games. Truth be told, Rey hated the fights, but as a Vestal Virgin, it was her duty to show up as a symbol of Rome and watch as men and animals lost their lives.

Finally, the day came. After much fussing over their robes and the style of their veils, Rey and the other priestesses were led to the stables and ushered into a grand carriage that was drawn by four white horses. In the carriage, Rey and the other five chosen made their way through the crowded Roman streets. _Plebeians_ cried out as they slowly passed, and all the while the slaves of the priestesses trailed behind the carriage in a grand procession. Finn didn't accompany her on these occasions as it was expected that they royal guard would be sufficient bodyguards, but she missed him. Finn had been her _lictor_ for as long as she could remember and had been there for her as a friend and respected advisor.

 _And then you jeopardize it all by saving Kylo Ren. Sometimes, I wonder..._ she chided herself as the city rolled by.

It was hot and dusty—the normally sticky, muddy streets had dried in the sun and the horses kicked up dirt as they walked through. Summer in Rome could be a brutal affair, and the Emperor used the games as a distraction to keep the people happy and from infighting. Rey fanned herself with the edge of her robes, gaining herself an unimpressed look from an older priestess, Julia.

"I know—'appearances'. But the carriage is enclosed and no one can see," Rey said before the priestess could censure her.

"The Gods can see you, Rey," Julia warned her, but even she looked like she was suffering in the heat as beads of sweat gathered along the edge of her head covering, glistening against her olive skin.

Beautiful but stern, Julia looked like she couldn't wait for her priestess duties to consist of primarily training the new priestesses instead of being a visual presence at the Coliseum. Attending public events could be stressful and Rey didn't much enjoy the games either, never mind having to condescend to Emperor Hux…

But the travel time passed more quickly than she expected and soon they were being ushered into the Coliseum, through the entrance reserved for _very_ special guests, like the Emperor or the priestesses. It wasn't long before they were being presented before the Emperor himself and, as always, he spent more time with her than any of the others.

Rey resisted the urge to sigh. It had all started when she'd first come into her duties as a practicing priestess. She'd been so excited to no longer be a novice, but she'd never thought that the hardest part of her job would be having to attend the public and the Emperor. He cared very little for her Order, but a great deal about how the public perceived him. So he kept up appearances as a devoted follower of Vesta, but Rey knew what his heart was truly like.

Cruel and calculating, it was rumored that Hux had killed his own father to claim the Empire itself, but anyone heard speaking such ideas was _quickly_ silenced. More than that, Hux was known for being cruel to _women_ and the families of the men that disappointed him. He had, on more than one occasion, made it known to Rey that because of her low birth, the gods didn't have high expectations for her. He, on the other hand, _knew_ that she could be useful to the Empire as _more_ than just a priestess. He'd so angered her that she did her best to keep herself from being in his company for more than was necessary.

 _Though, I could make him hurt._

Rey was reasonably confident about her ability to defend herself, but to strike out at the Emperor would mean her death. She sighed as they climbed the steps through the interior of the Coliseum, making their way towards the podium to meet with Hux. She hated the Emperor, and though his father had not been much better, at least Emperor Lucius Brendol had kept his hands to himself. _He_ had respected the sanctity the Vestal Virgins, but Emperor Hux felt that his divine right gave him dominion over _all_ the humans and animals in creation, even the Vestal Virgins.

So far he hadn't gone much further than lascivious glances and lingering touches along exposed skin, but Rey didn't know how much longer he was going to be satisfied by such meager offerings. Hux was known for his love of both women _and_ men, so Rey hoped that his many lovers would be enough to keep him satiated. She worried, though, that the temptation and his desire to despoil one who was meant to be sacred and divine would overrun his common sense. To touch a Vestal Virgin was a death sentence, for both the Virgin and her lover, but if that lover happened to be the Emperor…

Rey plastered on a fake smile as she and the other priestesses were presented before Hux. He sat on an elaborate throne atop a marble pedestal from where he could survey the games, but Rey thought the throne only served to make him look _smaller._ Publicly revered and privately hated, Hux tried to win the favor of his people through extravagant and expensive games, but increased taxes to compensate for his lavish desires.

As a consequence, there was much instability in Rome. Increasing poverty made food harder to come by, never mind that the Emperor was _also_ a huge fan of public shaming and executions. Rey hid her feelings while she lowered her head before the Emperor, hoping he'd wave her along like the others, but she had no such luck.

"A glorious day for the games, is it not, priestess?" Hux asked, gesturing for her to stop as she tried not to be noticed. Rey stood as far away from the terrifying man as she dared and kept her eyes low as she answered, "It is, Caesar."

All she wanted was to go sit in her designated spot at the podium so that she could pretend to be interested in the violent sports in front of the masses who expected her to be an ambassador for Rome's glory. She smiled at them the same way she smiled for the Emperor. What Rey did, _all_ that she did, was for the glory of her goddess. And if she needed to be obsequious to a tyrant in order to keep her city safe, she would.

"And you are a lovely addition to the audience if I don't say so," he mused.

Rey didn't look towards Hux, but she could feel his slimy gaze on her all the same. She'd been fortunate that her position within the temple afforded her some safety from the Emperor and his _desires,_ but she wondered how long he'd hold himself in check.

"The goddess blesses us all," Rey replied, deflecting.

"But some she blesses above all others," he said as he snapped his fingers, drawing her gaze finally.

Dressed in his deep violet robes, Rey supposed that most women—and many men—would find the Emperor handsome. His vibrant hair bespoke of his Gaulish ancestors, as did his milky colored skin and pale eyes. He looked otherworldly, and he used this to his advantage, often proclaiming that he was descended from the Gods themselves. Rey thought this was foolishness, but didn't dare voice her opinion. Rey stared into his pale eyes and couldn't help but feel as if his gaze was a challenge, but for what, she didn't know. She was just about to look away when a voice interrupted them both.

"Ah, the Goddess blesses us this day. Such lovely priestesses will surely mean successful games, Caesar. And the Priestess Rey! We are blessed indeed."

Rey turned towards the low, snarky voice as he teased both the Emperor and herself and was likely putting his head back on the chopping block. She hadn't seen him since he'd been taken by his mother, still recovering from being beaten half to death. And she'd been right when she'd first thought that, without the grime and gore, he'd be handsome. He _was._ Unconventional, surely, but his presence and the way he moved just naturally drew her eyes towards him.

Tall. He was _so_ tall, and his fine, dark robes did nothing to disguise his strength. His skin, though pale, looked sun-kissed now that he'd clearly been in the Roman sun.

His dark eyes narrowed on Rey as he caught her staring. Kylo smirked, and she was immediately angry as his own eyes trailed over her body, but not in the way Hux's had. Kylo was appreciative but didn't linger on the points that made her feel uncomfortable. No, he seemed to take her in as a whole—even the parts that no one else could see. The parts that she tried to hide from the world.

 _Uncanny, that gaze._

"Lady Rey," he finally said with a tip of his head. The dark locks of his hair fell into his eyes and he brushed it away with his long fingers.

Though he didn't turn from where he sat, Hux replied before she got the chance.

"Oh. Ren. Didn't think you'd have the strength to make it today."

There was an implicit threat in his voice as if he couldn't fathom that Kylo had the audacity to show his presence in front of the Emperor so soon after such a public shaming.

Kylo either didn't notice or didn't care. Rey was betting on the latter.

"Hail, Caesar," he said shortly before turning his attention back towards Rey.

No one else on the planet had the guts to so completely dismiss the Emperor, and Rey found that she was both mortified and impressed. The last thing she wanted was more of the Emperor's attention because of Kylo, but she still had to hand it to him. Kylo stared at her and, from where she was standing, she could also see the Emperor narrow his gaze, furious.

 _Oh, they hate each other!_

"I never got the chance to thank you for your help," Kylo started, but was again interrupted by Hux.

"And when did you make Lady Rey's acquaintance?"

This question he could not ignore, so Kylo turned towards the Emperor with a smile.

"On the night of my execution."

Hux obviously knew what had happened on that night, but it seemed he hadn't known _which_ priestess had absolved Kylo—had the guards forgotten her name?

"You really are luckier than you deserve," Hux mused as his eyes again roamed over Rey.

"Rey really _is_ more than any man deserves. Not only my savior but my healer as well. I seem to be favored by her goddess to get such _personal_ attention."

Hux seemed to _fume_ at that revelation but said nothing.

 _Ass. What a cocky, irritating ass. He will be no end of trouble._

Rey did _not_ want to get in the middle of a pissing contest between two powerful men who seemed to be at odds with each other, but that looked to be exactly what she was doing! She needed to intervene before Kylo made things seem more important between them than they actually were.

"My lord," she said while taking a step back. "I am quite sure that we do not know each other well enough for you to call me by only my given name."

Though it was a bit of a lie. She'd saved his life and, though she didn't understand it, her goddess had wanted him to be alive. But still, he persisted.

"Oh, what star were you born under to have such luck?" the Emperor mused from his throne.

He looked bored. He was dangerous when he was bored. People _died_ when he was bored, but Kylo seemed oblivious to the impact he was having on Hux's mood.

"I make my own luck, Caesar," he assured the Emperor who had, very recently, held Kylo's life in the palm of his hand, and could still. "But I am blessed by the Gods to have a beauty such as this priestess come to my aid. Many thanks to you, Lady Rey," he said with a quick nod.

His eyes lingered even as his body pulled away, but unlike the Emperor's gaze, which had made her feel exposed and sick, Kylo Ren's look was all passion and pure intent—and lit a fire within her that she'd long thought extinguished.

 _Terrible, frustrating man._

Rey turned towards the Emperor and excused herself so that she could go and pray for blessings upon the games with her sisters. He glared between where Kylo and Rey stood but motioned his dismissal. Rey all but ran from the Emperor's place on the podium, intent on getting as far from the games, the fearsome leader, and the infuriating Kylo Ren, as she could. Rey skimmed down the steps of the oliseum, descending deeper and deeper within the giant structure, trying to make her way to the pathway that was reserved only for special use, but as she rounded a corner, she ran smack into the chest of one of the very men she'd been trying to avoid.

"You!" she accused as her eyes traveled up _and up_ his tall, infuriating body.

 _Was he always this tall...? And muscular?_

Rey tried to pull her face into a neutral expression, but Kylo noticed the way her eyes had hitched across the expanse of his chest before settling on his pouty mouth.

"Priestess, if you're looking to leave the Coliseum, might I suggest _not_ heading towards the animal dens?"

Rey took a moment to orient herself and realized, to her horror, that she _was_ heading further into the bowels of the Coliseum, and not out. Instead of admitting her mistake, she growled, "What makes you think I'm trying to get out of the Coliseum? Maybe I just needed some air after your shameful display in front of the Emperor!"

Kylo smirked down at her. "Shameful, priestess? How else was I going to distract him enough to allow you to make your escape?"

Rey backed away, trying to glare up into his eyes, and found her back against the cool stone wall—when had they gotten so close to the wall?

"If you're trying to suggest that what you did was to help me..."

"I'm not trying to suggest anything, priestess. You're playing a dangerous game with Hux. One that you will not win."

Anger flashed in his dark eyes, but not at her—was he jealous? Silly male. Rey abhorred the Emperor and yet…

"You think that you're the man to protect me? I have the blessings of my goddess—what could a man possibly provide me?" she challenged.

It was the wrong thing to say, of course, but she realized it too late and Kylo jumped at the invitation her words presented.

"Oh, the things I could offer you, priestess. Did your goddess show you all the wicked and depraved things that I've done, that I'll _do?_ She must have quite the sense of humor for her to send someone like _you_ to save someone like _me_ ," he said with a humorless laugh.

He hated himself, but why? Why would someone who'd been given all the opportunities in life that she'd been denied hate themselves?

"My goddess believes in second chances, as do I," Rey assured him and a small smirk curled the corner of his lips.

"Careless priestess," he said, voice low.

"I'm not careless," she assured him, shoulders squared and chin raised in defiance, which only brought her closer to his big body.

Kylo leaned in, close enough that she could feel the ghost of his breath against her cheek.

"But maybe you'd like to be? Only once. With someone who's got experience with being _careless...?_ " he almost growled, his deep voice taking on a delicious dark tenor.

"Reckless, more like," she replied, her own voice breathier than she'd anticipated. She was true to her word and her vows, but never before had a man so frustrated her before! Who did he think he was? And yet…

 _Traitorous heart, you find him alluring, don't you, Rey?_ she chided herself. What a fool.

She was well into her pledge to remain celibate and she wasn't about to be buried alive because of the temptation _one_ man, and not even a very good man, presented, was she?

Kylo leaned forward, his large body caging her in. Heat radiated off of him and the smell of his scented oils invaded her senses—sandalwood? Of _course,_ he smelled good too. Couldn't be like all the other fat, slovenly nobles and smell like wine, cheese and piss, could he?

Rey took a deep breath as her eyes slid shut and she did her very best not to fall under this man's wicked spell.

"I never thought to be tempted by a priestess," he murmured, close enough to her ear that she could feel the little puffs of his breath on her skin. She knew he wasn't a good man, though he'd fought for the Empire. He was a scoundrel. Murderer— but one that her goddess had absolved. What was it about his dark presence that so appealed to her? Smothering a shiver, Rey tried to rally her strength while pressing her hand into his chest in an effort to move him away—a mistake, of course.

 _He's so hard. So much muscle! What are you doing, Rey?_

And why had this striking man cornered her in an alcove, deep within the belly of the Coliseum? What if the wrong person saw her here? Some of her concern must have flashed across her face for he backed away slightly, not quite enough that she had to remove her hand, but he no longer had her caged against the wall.

"I forget myself," he said while that hard mask slid back into place.

She'd been a fool for saving this man. He would only bring her trouble, she could feel it in every fiber of her being.

"Come back to the games. Hux will be furious if you miss them and the last thing we need, priestess, is for the Emperor to take out his frustrations on someone else because we've upset him."

" _'We'?_ " Rey cried. "This is all your fault, Kylo!"

He smirked down at her, his eyes catching on her lips.

"Say it again," he urged her.

"What? ...Kylo?" she murmured.

His eyes slid closed, and he seemed to consider something for a moment before giving a shake of his head. Dark waves of hair tumbled in front of his brow as he stood much, _much_ too close to her. Before she could say another word, Kylo let out a low growl and dipped his head, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Too much trouble, Priestess. Perhaps in the afterlife."

Kylo lingered, his gaze caressing her face as he seemed to memorize her stunned expression.

"Come," he said as he stepped away, leaving Rey to stumble behind completely confused.

He was a trickster. Sarcastic and spiteful, but maybe he hadn't always been that way? What had twisted Kylo Ren into the man he was now? And why did he not seem to be able to keep the shadows of his former self from resurfacing around her?

As he stepped up to the podium, Rey wondered if there might not be more to Kylo Ren than she expected—and whether her goddess was going to give her the opportunity to explore this new revelation.


	3. Chapter 3

Weeks turned into months and Kylo continued to shadow the priestess, much to her consternation and his own confusion. There could be no happy ending for him with this woman. She was promised to her chaste goddess and he... he'd made his own vows.

And yet Kylo found himself again at the temple of Vesta. Fully healed and fresh from his mother's home, he'd found himself at the temple steps almost unintentionally.

Once he'd thought to rule all the empire, but with Snoke's presence eliminated from his life, for the first time in a long time he'd been able to think and consider. What _did_ he want for his life? He'd played the part of Commander in Hux's army, but what came next?

 _Rome._

 _Caesar._

 _Power._

But was it even his dream anymore? He'd sacrificed so much of his life, _ruined_ so much of his life, for this one goal, but had it ever been his?

"What are you doing here, Kylo?"

Rey's clear, strong voice distracted him from his melancholy.

Kylo smirked down at her. This was good—what he needed. A distraction.

"Rey," he said with a nod.

"Priestess," she corrected, though a beautiful flush crept over her cheeks, so he thought her ire was worth the price.

She looked sublime with her long hair bound behind her and expertly woven within her head covering. Her white robes flowed around her body and only hinted at the curves and planes hidden within. His mouth grew dry at the sight of her and all reason and common sense flew out of his mind. There could be no future with this woman, not for a _very_ long time, and Kylo Ren did _not_ wait. But maybe, this one time, things could be different.

"Kylo, are you okay?" she interrupted his thoughts again. How long had he been staring?

"I... Yes, Priestess."

He couldn't find the right words to say. She'd been dancing through his mind for so long he could hardly believe she was real before him. Lovelier than he'd remembered, lovelier and as annoyed to see him as ever.

 _Everything about her is a gods damned temptation._

"What are you doing here?" she asked again and he could swear she was resisting the urge to tap her foot.

Finally, his thoughts were his own, and he quipped, "I've come to pay tribute to Vesta. For saving me."

She raised an eyebrow at him but gestured towards the sacred flame and altar.

"Please, and may the goddess bless you."

Rey looked like she was going to go back to her own worship, but Kylo tried to pull her back into his orbit.

"I've heard that you are to accompany the Emperor to his home in Capri and bless it. Very unconventional for a priestess of Vesta."

There was an edge to his voice, even as he tried to keep the conversation light.

 _I'm not jealous. Just concerned. If that scum thinks he can get away with doing whatever he wants with my priestess…_

Kylo started. At what point had she become _his?_

 _Never. She'll never be yours, but you can keep her from being his as well._

"I serve Rome and I prayed to Vesta for her blessing, which she bestowed upon me," Rey explained, though she did look nervous. She was afraid!

"I'm to accompany the Emperor as well," he admitted as if it would soothe her. And, strangely enough, she did seem to relax.

"I thought you hated each other?" she murmured.

Kylo shrugged. Of course, he hated Hux, but he didn't want to admit that in public, especially considering it would make him seem petty to Rey—the last thing he wanted was to be devalued in any way in her eyes.

 _But why? She's just a priestess and you're a former commander and part of the ruling class. She's inconsequential, and yet…_

There was that thread, that strange feeling between them as if more than just a chance moment connected them. As if, together, they'd accomplish more than he'd ever dreamed. But how?

"Is your man coming with you?" Kylo asked, even though it bothered him to admit that it would make _him_ feel better if her _lictor_ was with her.

 _At least, Hux will have to keep his hands to himself, but alone..._ Kylo didn't want to consider how much danger she'd be in if she were to be alone with Hux.

"My _lictor_ hasn't been invited. The _Emperor_ assures me that his Royal Guard will be enough."

The way she said it, halting on _Emperor,_ Kylo knew that she wasn't comfortable going alone, but he'd endeavor to keep her safe, even if she didn't want or really need his protection. And he was about to say as much, but before he could say a word, they were interrupted.

"My lady," called a deep voice that Kylo immediately resented as both he and Rey turned towards the man the voice belonged to. Charming and handsome, Finn was a celebrated Centurion who'd retired from warfare and become a _lictor_ for the Temple of Vesta. Though Finn hadn't been from a wealthy family initially, he quickly proved his strength and prowess in Emperor Brendol's army and had won himself great fame and fortune. Finn was proof that goodness in life was rewarded, and Kylo was proof…

 _That there are no limits to the depths of worldly depravity._

Kylo was about to step away, but Rey reached out to hold him close as if she wanted him to be with her as she spoke to her _lictor._ A shiver of awareness ran through his body as her hand touched his bare skin and Kylo thought that, with her hand around his forearm, he might be able to walk through the river Styx itself.

* * *

He was going to run. Rey knew that look well—she'd seen it on worshippers who were suddenly aware that all their sins, all their trespasses against the Gods, were on full display in the temples. Kylo had that very same look like he couldn't quite face what was within him when he looked at Finn, but Rey didn't have time to consider before Finn was before them, eyes narrowed as he took them both in. Normally, Rey was happy to see his face, but she _knew_ he'd be unhappy with her now, even if Poe was with him today.

Thick, black hair cropped close to his beautiful dark skin, Finn looked every bit the soldier today, even if the cut of his robes and the metal of his blade were better quality than most noblemen. He wasn't working today, but Finn regularly worshiped at the temple, even when not required to be there as an escort.

Poe, who was widely known to be the close companion and lover of Finn, trailed alongside him—lover _and_ protector. The pommel of his sword was just visible against the bright fabric of his robes and _pallium_. His dark hair curled along his brow and his olive skin spoke of many hours spent training in the strong Roman sunshine.

"Protector," Rey said with a smile which Poe returned.

"My lady, the Goddess's blessings upon you."

Poe shifted as Finn turned to address Kylo. Kylo was _not_ well liked among the elites, but he was feared. Regarded as somewhat of a liability, only his ties to Advisor Snoke kept enemies from rising up against him, but now that the Advisor was gone, there was nothing keeping Kylo safe—nothing but his mother's influence and Kylo's own unpredictability.

 _The gods will judge you by the company you keep..._ her conscience warned her, but her heart also wondered whether she was simply being judgemental. Was it not in her nature to forgive as well?

"Ren. Surprised you managed to find your way out of the cells. And here, trying to tarnish the reputation of a Vestal Virgin?" Finn asked with a smile, but it was not the same friendly one he'd given her.

Kylo growled. "My life and the company I keep is none of your concern," he replied warningly.

"I suppose that is true," Finn said with a little laugh and Rey watched as Poe's hand shifted towards his sword, but Finn continued. "Your mother wishes to see you, Commander Ren," Finn said knowingly.

"You have a great deal of information about my mother's wishes for a _lictor_ ," Kylo replied, trying and failing to keep his temper in check.

He was more than a protector and Kylo knew it, but the handsome man only smiled and turned towards Rey.

"I hear you're going to Capri," Finn said to Rey, and it sounded like an accusation.

"You make it seem like a vacation rather than a duty," Rey shot back.

They were friends, they really were, but she wasn't about to be coddled. She could handle herself- Emperor or not, Rey was a Vestal Virgin and had the blessings and _protection_ of her goddess. No mortal man could interfere with her in that regard.

"Still. Emperor Hux. Capri. You do know that there's a certain... aura that surrounds that place, don't you?" Finn pressed.

"As a Vestal _Virgin,_ I assure you, I neither wish to entertain such thoughts nor will I worry about them. I do this because it is my duty to the Emperor, and for no other reason."

Poe's hand brushed along Finn's shoulder as he sighed. A small smile pulled at the corner of his full lips.

"Sorry, my lady—Rey. Sometimes, I forget that I'm your _lictor_ first and not friend. You will be careful?"

 _He's worried about you. They all are._ Rey felt a heaviness in her heart give away a little under the realization that these men cared about her and wanted her to be safe. Of course, she and Finn—and even Poe—cared for each other, but they didn't speak of it. Familial or friendship bonds weren't exactly encouraged with those outside of her order, but the realization filled her with an overwhelming warmth.

 _And Kylo…_

"I'll be safe. Kylo will be there," she said, trying to reassure him. Finn barely resisted rolling his eyes, but his expression said it all.

"Keep her safe, Ren," he directed without waiting for a response. Rey reached out and tightened her hand around Kylo's forearm, a little squeeze to calm him... and keep Ren from a sarcastic retort.

"Lady Rey, always a pleasure to see you. Ren," Finn said, with a grin. "I will see you for the harvest festival when you return, Lady Rey."

"Thank you for your service, Finn. So lovely to see you as well, Poe," Rey said with a smile as the men made their way towards the sacred fire to make their offering.

"Priestess, I suppose we shall meet in Capri," Kylo said as her attention returned to him.

"I suppose we shall," she replied. It all felt wrong, and yet somehow she couldn't keep herself from wanting it all to happen. Her destiny was leading her towards that small island playground and Rey believed that her goddess had plans for her.

Capri was going to change her life, she just knew it.

* * *

She was dreaming again. A nightmare. This time, she saw Kylo's horrified face. An outstretched hand. And an island in the middle of the ocean. _And death at Hux's hands._

 _I see it... I see the island…_

Rey woke and choked back a scream. Bleary eyed, she looked around and found that she had _no idea_ where she was.

 _Capri. I'm on Capri._

Under more pleasant terms, Rey would have loved Capri. The island was nestled in the bay of Neapolis and the forbidding outline of Mount Vesuvius was still visible across the glittering water. Gorgeous beaches and dark, deceptively beautiful grottos lined the island and made for a spectacular playground for the Roman elite. Two days she'd been on the scenic and isolated island, but the journey there hadn't been easy. The well-worn Roman roads had been dry and merciless on the wheels of her carriage, bouncing her back and forth, making her sick as a dog. The journey by ship had been worse. Bad weather had made the bay almost impassable, but the Emperor had insisted.

By the time they'd made it to the villa on Capri, nearly everyone in the Emperor's party had been fed up with the entire ordeal, aside from Hux himself who felt that there was value in every challenge.

Rey yawned and slid out of bed, intent on getting a glass of water, when a figure in the corner of her room caught her off guard.

"Who's there!?" she cried while stepping back, eyes scanning the open room for a weapon— _anything_ to protect herself with.

"Fear not, priestess. It's only your devoted Emperor," Hux's voice called from the darkness.

It was _exactly_ as she'd feared. Alone, on Capri, she'd have no defense against his advances and whether she gave in, or resisted, the outcome would mean the same punishment for her—death.

Hux stepped out of the darkness and into the faint light of the moon, stumbling towards her.

 _He's drunk._

She was _glad_ he was drunk. A sober, cunning Hux was a force to be reckoned with, but a drunk... she could divert his attention. She could manage this. Horrid though it was to be at the whims and mercy of such a man. If she were _Kylo,_ she knew exactly what she'd do.

"Come to check to see if I'm sleeping, Caesar?"

"That. Maybe more," he drawled, shambling closer.

"How thoughtful. My goddess would be so pleased to know that the Emperor of Rome cares so much for her _Virgins._ Truly, we are both blessed by her grace and goodness."

The underlying threat being, of course, that at _any time_ the gods could take away their favor. Hux was a fool, but he wasn't about to cross the very gods he attributed his success to—even if he sometimes thought he belonged among their ranks.

"Your goddess," he parroted.

"Vesta," Rey replied before putting more distance between herself and the drunken Emperor.

At worst, she could make a dash for the veranda and hide in the gardens, but he _seemed_ to be seeing reason. Hux slithered back towards the entrance to her room, mumbling about virgins and goddesses.

"Think of the power you could wield if only... If only... with me..."

Rey let out a breath as he finally leaned against the wall before turning and stumbling away. The days passed, and the tension remained as if everyone was anticipating some momentous event. She hadn't been at the villa for more than a week, but already she was beginning to worry. Everything inside of Rey told her that nothing good was going to come from this visit. The Emperor was too unstable and there was never any telling what he'd do.

And Kylo was not helping. Everyone knew that Hux didn't only invite those he loved to his villa, but also those he wished to _deal_ with, and more than one enemy of the Empire had taken a short walk off of the frightening cliffs of Capri. Kylo _knew_ that Hux wanted him dead, knew that he was jealous of the attention that Kylo gave Rey, but still, he'd take every opportunity to goad the Emperor. Sarcasm was frequently his tool, that and flirtation which Rey did her best to rebuff, but often she'd find herself caught up in one of Kylo's schemes and, before she realized, she'd be flustered and blushing at something he'd said as the Emperor stared on, furious.

Meanwhile, the nightmares haunted her and robbed her of sleep. On one such night, she went for a walk under the bright moonlight, the air still warm from the blistering sun of the day. Walking out to the edges of the villa, the moon shone down on the water, glinting supernaturally on the dark surface. It was as overwhelming to look at during the night as it was during the day. Such a strange and overwhelmingly beautiful place—that she wasn't enjoying at all.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice she had a guest until he was beside her.

"Dreams keeping you awake, Priestess?" rumbled Kylo's deep voice as he stood above where she sat.

"That and general unease. You cannot be so blind as to think that Hux wishes any good for you."

When he didn't reply, she assumed he was going to leave, which she was both upset and glad for, but Kylo surprised Rey by taking a seat beside her on the dusty ground.

"I am a fool, but not for those reasons," he conceded.

Rey thought he was right, but that she was also a fool for not getting up and leaving, for lingering and letting the conversation inevitably lead itself back to what they felt for each other. That strange connection that seemed to flow between them both.

"I feel it too," he said as if reading her mind.

"It's futile. You know what I am. Where I stand," Rey replied after long moments.

"Just because it's futile, doesn't mean it's not worth acknowledging. We all have a role to play in this game of the Gods, a force for their divine actions. Would they thrust us together, only to have us deny the very connection that holds us in place?"

Rey sighed before making another mistake—she leaned into him and rested her head on his arm.

 _Warm. Comfort. True._

It all flowed between them. Even with his mistakes, even with his darkness, even with what the Emperor intended, it still flowed.

"It would have all been so different had I known that you'd be here, waiting for me," Kylo whispered, tilting his head to brush a lingering kiss on her brow.

"True cruelty from the Gods is the way that they are indifferent to the short and painful lives of humans," she answered.

They sat for hours. Till the golden sun rose over the waters and mountains of the bay. Talked about everything and nothing. And ask Kylo walked Rey back to her quarters and bid her adieu, they both knew that their time together on Capri was coming to a close, but that it would have to be enough.

It would have to be enough for a lifetime.

* * *

The heat was unbearable and the Emperor grew restless, insisting that he _needed_ to go to his private grotto for a swim despite the high waters and lateness of the day. And so, Kylo Ren and Rey found themselves alone in a mostly deserted villa.

Of course, it was a recipe for disaster, amongst other things. Laying on a bench in the _exedra,_ Rey listened to the water dripping from the fountain while fanning herself. She'd long since dismissed the slave girl who was to attend her, preferring the quiet sounds of flowing water to the girl's impatient fanning. It must have been horrible to have to attend another in such heat, and Rey hoped that the girl was able to find some comfort.

Time passed and Rey dozed, her mind alternating between nearly lucid dreams and a strange sort of awareness. In this state, she could feel the force of her Goddess flowing through her, directing her path. Odd how that path always led to the notorious Kylo Ren.

 _Kylo Ren..._ her body sighed and Rey stretched.

In a different world, in another time, she'd have encouraged his wicked teasing and fought back with some of her own. But the reality was that he couldn't be anything more than an antagonist in her life—right?

As if her thoughts willed him into existence, Kylo sauntered into the _exedra,_ his dark clothing clinging to his body in the heat in an almost obscene manner. Rey had to force herself _not_ to stare at his thick muscles, at the sheen of sweat across his pale jaw pearling so enticingly to drip down his long neck.

She didn't rise from the bench, just stared as he edged closer.

"Have you come to torment me?" she accused without heat.

Kylo snorted. "No. I didn't know you were here. It's the coolest part of the villa."

She almost believed him, but she had a sinking suspicion that he'd been looking for her. She expected him to invade her space and steal a spot beside her, but he dropped to a crouch and dipped his fingers in the low fountain.

His eyes locked with hers. _Dangerous._ He was _dangerous._ This was _dangerous._ But neither one broke the gaze.

Kylo reached towards her, fingertips dripping, as he let an obscene drop of water fall right between the curve of her breasts.

Rey hissed as the cool water hit her skin. Hissed and wanted _more—_ licked her lips in anticipation. It was all the invitation he needed. Faster than she could track, Kylo _was_ in her space, his lips and dark hair and flushed skin so close she could _feel_ the heat radiating off of his body.

"Still the coolest part of the villa?" she breathed.

"Mmm," he said, though his eyes were focused on her lips. "What could a priestess be thinking about, lounging in the heat? Dreaming of wicked, lustful men come to steal you away in the night?"

 _How does he know...? Wait. Is he jealous?_

Rey pulled back and put some distance between them, sliding over the edge of the bench and standing so that she towered over Kylo.

But the look that he gave her... stole her breath. For a moment, Kylo looked at her like she was the sun in his sky, but that look was quickly shuttered as he smothered it with sass.

"Got you all hot and bothered?" he said, deflecting as a grin slid into place. Keeping that frustrating wall between them so that he didn't get hurt.

 _Fool._

She would love this man. If they'd met under different circumstances, where she wasn't a priestess and he wasn't so full of darkness, she'd have given her body and soul to his keeping. And the way he was looking at her made her believe the same of him.

 _Sometimes, even soulmates don't meet or meet at the wrong times,_ her mind told her.

Just because it felt right, didn't mean that it was right, but it didn't stop her from wondering, from _wanting._

Which made her angry.

"You can't win everything with a smile and luck, nor by force," she growled, which only made his smile widen.

Kylo stretched, flexing the muscles of his arms as he pulled them taut. Slowly, he lifted himself off of the floor and came around to stand in front of her.

 _This. This is what we are. This is what we need,_ Rey thought. As long as they kept fighting, it was easier to ignore what was really going on between them, what had been going on for _months._

"Ruffled your feathers, priestess? Tell me, does it bother you more that I've told you _exactly_ what you'd get if you were with me, or that it's exactly what you _want?_ "

She could also _hate_ this man. His smug looks and the superior attitude born from a life of luxury with noble parents and the irresponsibility that came along with wealth. _He'd_ been the architect of his life's own destruction, and yet the goddess had wanted her to _save_ this stupid, handsome, alluring, frustrating man. Rey squared her shoulders and stomped in front of him, itching for a fight to wipe the lingering desire from her veins.

"You think you've got this all worked out? That you can slide into my life and tell me what I want and how I want it? Tell me, Kylo, is the fact that I'm unattainable what makes you want me? Goddess knows, it's what sends Hux to my side."

He glared down at her. "Do _not_ compare me to that opportunistic prick."

"Or what? Does it hurt to see the truth? That you only want me because you think you can't have me?"

But Rey was being more honest than even she realized. Did it hurt for her to think that the only reason he wanted her was because she was untouchable? Some sacred being for him to desecrate? Kylo stared down at her, his warm, brown eyes staring into her own. His gaze flickered over her face, lingering on her lips, the way she'd parted her mouth to give voice to more of her frustrations, but paused, momentarily mystified by his serious face.

"What?" she breathed, suddenly at a loss for what was going on.

"It's true. I wanted you at first because you were beautiful and because you were unavailable to me. And then I thought that I wanted you because Hux wanted you, and I would bring down the heavens themselves to thwart that bastard. But I was wrong. You're wrong," he said, pausing as his hands tentatively reached out to grab her own.

He was looking deep into her eyes as he uttered the most heartbreaking words she'd ever heard in her life.

"I want you because I'm falling in love with you. And the fact that I can't have you destroys me, piece by piece, day by day. I would give my life but to be able to share a moment of your time and, if this is all I have, if this is all I am to get—your ire—then I will treasure these moments for the rest of my days."

Rey felt her body curl in on itself. It wasn't at all what she'd expected him to admit. She'd never thought to believe that he would think of her as anything other than a prize to be won. But that he thought he loved her…

It was too much. Rey tried to pull her hands from his, to turn away from that heartbreaking honesty in his eyes, but he held her fast.

"Even monsters can love, Rey," he said softly.

And maybe he was a monster- the Gods knew he'd done terrible things in their name, in the name of the very city and Empire that she and other priestesses were sworn to protect, but was she any different?

She presided over so much death herself but was celebrated for it. And a commander, fallen from favor because of a capricious and jealous Emperor. Was he not worthy of the same misguided respect? Rey hazarded a look back into those deep, brown eyes as she told him, "You're not a monster. But you must know that any love between us would be futile. I cannot..."

"I am well aware of what you can and cannot do, priestess," he said, cutting her off. "Without your pious reminder."

"It's my dedication to my goddess that keeps me from making the biggest mistake of my life. A mistake that would sign my death warrant!" she roughly explained. As if his pain meant more than hers, she knew what it was to want and to be unsatisfied!

"I would protect you," he assured her, but it sounded hollow on his lips and they both knew it.

"You can barely take care of yourself, Kylo," she said, a bitter smile gracing her face as she remembered exactly how and why they'd met. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"You were always going to be too good for me, but it doesn't keep me from wanting you. For reaching out and wanting to experience that little piece of heaven."

"You cannot find forgiveness in my arms," she warned him, even as her feet led her body close to his, even as her own hand came up to trail along the strong curve of his cheek.

"Never wanted forgiveness. Only ever wanted a love to be shared," he admitted with heartbreaking honesty.

What would this man have been without the oppressive burden of expectation and the corruption of the Empire? Fighting wars for men who were only concerned with their reputations and being remembered. Corrupted by advisors that wished him more harm than good in the dangerous, deadly games they played?

 _He could have been yours. And you could have been his. And, in a different world, you could have been together._

Almost of their own accord, Rey fingers reached up and traced over his lips. His mouth was full, sinful even, as if it had been sculpted by one of the great Greek masters. His tongue darted out as her touch passed and she felt her own slip across her lips in answer. She _wanted_ to kiss him. Wanted, for the first time in her life, to have all the things she'd thoughtlessly vowed to abstain from.

She merely wanted _one_ moment, was it too much to ask for?

 _His touch._

 _His mouth._

 _His body._

Rey closed her eyes and tried to gain some composure, but his delicious scent invaded her senses and muddled her mind.

"Priestess...," he murmured, the word drawn out into something like an apology, and yet, she felt him press closer.

"Kylo," she answered, not a rebuff—too breathy and needy sounding for that.

Rey opened her eyes, looked up into his sharp gaze, and found that she was helpless to resist him. Had she ever known that someone like him would come into her life, she'd have never taken the vow to Vesta, not even entertained it.

Kylo oozed sensuality, even his own dark nature was appealing to her.

 _Dark and light._

 _Sun and moon._

 _He calls to you…_

Kylo dipped his head as Rey tilted hers back. Their lips met, brushing softly at first, but as Kylo's hands tightened around her waist their passion grew, the kiss turning forceful— _needy._

When they pulled apart, they were both breathing hard. Rey stared into his eyes, so dark, and glazed with lust.

 _More. More. More,_ her body and mind cried. And so, for just one moment, she let Kylo lead. His hands moved lower, one encircling her waist while the other cupped her bottom. Rey bit out a little gasp as he turned her in his arms and pulled her body _tight_ against him. It was wrong to let him touch her like this, but she wanted it _so._

"Worry not, little priestess. Your precious vow will be kept intact... _mostly,_ " he purred against her neck.

Would her goddess grant her this one, small concession? Giving into temptation personified, just giving him that _inch_ to work with?

Rey's head lolled back on his hard chest as his hand dipped between the layers of her robes and trailed along the inside of her thigh. She'd be lying if she said she'd never touched herself and wondered what it would feel like to have another do so, but her lover had always been faceless, gentle—never someone like Kylo Ren. His darkness drew her like nothing else. Full lips pressed lingering kisses along her neck as his fingers delved, seeking out that special spot that would get her higher.

 _Should stop him. Should stop._

But she didn't and instead spread her legs a little wider to accommodate his big hand.

Kylo chuckled against her skin. Oh, he _liked_ that.

"Think of what I could show you, if only..." he promised wickedly.

Rey mewled softly as his fingers slipped between her legs. He knew _exactly_ how to touch her, which peripherally made her wonder just how much experience he'd _had_ in this sort of endeavor, but she found she didn't really care. He had lived his life, and she had lived hers, and now she was benefitting from his experience.

"Trust me, priestess," his deep voice murmured.

He'd give her everything she never knew she wanted, if she'd only let him.

And as she felt more and more of her weight being carried by the strength of his big body, she let him, if only for this one moment. His long fingers dipped inside, curling as his thumb stroked and Rey's hand rose back and threaded into his luscious dark hair, holding tight while he drove Rey out of her mind.

"Please, please, _please...,_ " she babbled.

"Anything, priestess. _Anything,_ " he promised.

The rumble of his voice and the thrilling combination of his touch was too much for her. Rey's nails dug into Kylo's neck as her pleasure peaked, passion sending her tumbling over an overwhelming edge. She could _feel_ how pleased her pleasure made him feel, some strange connection between them thrumming in answer with how _right_ it all felt.

"Imagine all the ways I'd love you," he suggested darkly.

And Rey _did._ With a body that big and strong, he'd hold her tight while pressing her back into the wall before surging forward, grinding into her body as they slowly joined together. He'd run his teeth along her neck, a sharp nip in contrast with the slow, gentle play of his body within hers. He'd drive her mad. And she... she'd return the favor.

Breathless, reality slowly began to sink in as Rey realized with whom and _where_ she was and what would happen if they were both found out.

 _Hux would kill us both, but not before torturing us. Not before that._

Kylo's hand still possessively cupped Rey between her legs and she fought against the urge to _keep_ him there, instead gently disentangling her body from his.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and she could have shaken him for how foolish they'd _both_ been.

"This was dangerous. Beyond foolish. Oh, Kylo," Rey said, coming _way down_ after the most intense pleasure of her life.

"I didn't realize you were so fearful, priestess. And here I thought Vesta's force and will flowed through you."

Rey glared. "If you're trying to make yourself seem like an ass, it's working."

"And if you're trying to make it look like you didn't enjoy what I just did to you, it _isn't_ working," he growled.

"A distraction, nothing more. I will honor my vow," she spat back.

"Oh? Really," Kylo seethed.

Holding her gaze, Kylo lifted his still _slick_ hand to his lips before taking one, long digit between his lips for an obscene suck.

Rey's lips parted as her knees went weak. He'd keep her momentarily distracted for the rest of her damned life if she let him.

Fast as a whip, he was wrapped around her as Kylo pulled her body tight against his own. Rey could _feel_ the way he wanted her—hard and hot between them. Her mouth went dry as she fought her desire for him.

"Hear me, Rey," he started, his deep voice passionate but firm. "I will honor your vow, as you are required to honor it, but there will come a day when you _will_ be mine. The Gods might have chosen your path, might have seen fit to let you _see_ some of it, but I know— _I know—_ in my heart, you will be mine."

It felt prophetic, the way he spoke, like the words were coming from somewhere deeper than just his mind and even his soul. And even though she couldn't see how, she knew that one day he'd come for her.

And he'd be every bit hers as she was his.

"Kylo," she paused as tears filled her eyes.

"Don't," Kylo growled before he silenced them both with his kiss.

Rey's arms slid up along the muscle of his abdomen and clutched at his robes, holding him like she never wanted to let him go.

And she didn't.

Kylo's big hands roamed over her body, one holding her tight around her back while the other slid beneath her veil and into her tangled hair, held her like he was stealing a piece of her soul. Like he was freezing this moment into his mind _forever._

His lips pulled, sucked. Tongues tangled as she tasted _herself_ on his lips. Breaths mingled as they both fought to curb the rising tide of passion between them. Rey wasn't sure who pulled away from the kiss first and, for a while, they just held each other, neither seeming to want to let go until, finally, she stepped back and rearranged her veil.

"Good night, Kylo."

It was all she could think of to say. There was _too_ much to say and none of it would be useful. Not now.

"Rey." Such a little word full of so much emotion, and yet she turned to walk out of the _exedra._

She didn't look back as she wandered into the halls of the villa. Rey was dazed and paused, eyes closed, back pressed to the wall, as she tried to calm herself. What a fool she was—they _both_ were.

"Well, well," a cultured voice drawled as her eyes snapped open.

Rey gasped as her mind tried to think up excuses, but there was nothing she could do. Not now. Rey stared straight into the eyes of Emperor Hux and prepared to meet her destiny.


	4. Chapter 4

_He's seen us. He's seen it all._

He was going to take out his wrath on her and there wasn't anything she or Kylo Ren could do to stop it.

 _Kylo..._ she thought as if a thought could will the man into existence. She'd made herself clear, brushed him off—why would he concern himself with her any further? Rey tried to put some distance between herself and the Emperor, but Hux advanced on her, his wiry but surprisingly strong body caging her in against the wall.

"So, you shirk the advances of your _Emperor,_ but fall willingly into the arms of a criminal?" Hux breathed down on her, reeking of wine.

 _Wrong, wrong, wrong! All of this is wrong!_ She was a fool for letting herself get caught up by the whims of these men. Even as her heart called for one of them, her mind told her that _she_ was the reason all of this was happening.

 _I'm no one if not a priestess of Vesta. My vow is everything. If I hadn't forgotten it…_

But it had been Vesta herself who'd wanted Kylo saved, hadn't it? Or had she been given a false vision? No, she knew in her heart the feeling of love and the force of her Goddess, so what was this meant to do?

All at once, Rey realized— _We're meant to kill Hux and save the Empire from his hand._

She had known he was evil, known it all along, but somehow she seemed to think her position as a priestess absolved her of any responsibility. Priestesses of Vesta were the _protectors_ of Rome itself, though, not the Emperor. If an Emperor was on the precipice of destroying all that had been built up, the Gods would step in.

And they had—through her. Through Kylo Ren.

Now, all that remained to be seen was whether Rey's life would be the ultimate sacrifice for that peace—or Kylo's. She'd damned them both if this didn't play out right.

 _No. We're damned together,_ her mind rebuked her. Two people, two choices, one outcome. Yet she couldn't bring herself to regret any moment of it.

"Priestess slut," he slurred. "I never thought I'd be pining after Kylo Ren's seconds. No matter, that. Your body and your position are under my supreme control and you will bow before your Emperor and his desires."

Rey raised her chin and counted her breaths before answering. "I belong to no man and my body belongs to the goddess Vesta."

"You _belong,_ you _exist,_ because of my will!" Hux seethed as his hands dug into the meat of her shoulders. He dragged her outside of the villa and into the heat of the late afternoon. But Rey only felt the calming presence of the force of her Goddess as it flowed with her, directing her as Rey acted out Her will for the good of all the empire.

"I belong to no man," she repeated with a placid smile. If she was going to die, she would go out on her own terms.

"You will submit to me. Or you will die," he spat, close enough that she could smell the wine on his breath.

"You are drunk, Caesar. You know not what you say," Rey said while taking a step back, but Hux snatched out with surprising quickness and latched a hand into her veil and hair.

"Listen, you little whore. I know what you _are._ And I know what you've _done._ If you think you can get away with letting _him_ touch you, but deny your Emperor, you are mad."

Rey reached up to clutch at her hair, trying to keep Hux from tearing it out. She was strong, but he was stronger and he was _angry._

She knew then that he meant to kill her.

 _You imagine an ocean... I see it... I see the island…_

She'd been here before, in her dreams, in her nightmares. His voice called to her, called her to _this_ very spot, this very moment. It all came together in a flash as she realized that she had all the power here. The power to bring an Emperor to his knees.

The power to save Rome from his strange and terrible tyranny.

"This was your choice, priestess."

"And what a choice—betray my vows and be with you and face the wrath of my goddess and Rome or the wrath of my Emperor."

Rey backed away, but Hux closed in on her. Though he was slight in stature, his temper and fits of rage frightened Rey to her core. He only ever did something to bring himself more power and eliminating her would bring him power over Kylo Ren- it just might destroy him.

"You know how this ends, Caesar," Rey said, voice clear and calm even as the fear threatened to overwhelm her.

"Hmm. I think you overestimate your power, Priestess," he hissed, close enough that she could feel his breath and spit on her face.

 _Repulsive man._

Rome was under constant threat, from without and within, and sometimes the Gods saw fit to intervene and put the Empire back on the right path, using the force of their power. Had they chosen right with Rey? She didn't know, but she wasn't about to go down easy.

"I think you underestimate the power of the Gods," she growled, trying to ignore the way he dug his fingers into her flesh.

"We shall see. Guards!" he shrieked and as the men came into view, Rey blanched.

 _No... Not this._

But it was exactly as she'd foreseen. Two guards dragged Kylo before them both, bleeding and bruised, and dumped him before Hux. It was all so familiar— _too_ familiar. She knew how this would end, Kylo and her were both going to pay for their sins unless she could stop this—somehow she'd change the outcome. She'd save them both. She had to.

Hux's gaze grew vicious as he locked eyes with Rey. From beneath his robes, Hux drew out a wicked looking blade and smiled at Rey before turning to Kylo. The Emperor stalked towards where Kylo slumped, fighting to remain upright.

"You are worth it," Kylo said with obvious effort. "Rey. All of this. Was worth it for you."

It was the _wrong_ thing to say and only seemed to empower Hux, fueling his rage.

"For the annoyance you've been to me," he murmured, leaning close to where Kylo knelt. The blade glinted in the lingering light of the day, a flash, and before Rey could cry out it was embedded in Kylo's side.

"No!" Rey screamed as she dashed towards him this time, too late.

The guards stepped away as she skidded before him, her arms reaching out to steady his large body as he fell forward.

"You should have never come here. Why did you come here?" she cried.

Why had she let him? She'd known that Hux had only ever wanted his death, and away from the prying eyes of Lady Organa, the Emperor could do whatever he wanted to whomever he wanted.

"And leave you to Hux? Even I'm not that much of a scoundrel," he choked out.

Even with the blade still embedded in his side, he was bleeding out too much. He wouldn't make it much longer.

"You foolish man. You're no good to me dead!"

Kylo tried to laugh, but it sent him into a sputtering spasm. "Believe me, priestess. It's the _only_ way I'm good to you."

 _My life for yours. More than a fair trade,_ his eyes seemed to say to her.

 _No. Never. How am I supposed to live without you now?_

In an instant, Rey was ripped from Kylo's side and dragged bodily towards the Emperor, his guards reveling in her misery.

"Now that your protector has been vanquished, perhaps you'll reconsider my offer. Stand by my side, or die," Hux said with a simpering smirk.

"Never," Rey said as she was thrust cruelly into the Emperor's arms.

"Then you'll die, but not before I have a little fun first..." Hux's fingers dug into her back and the pain brought her a moment of clarity.

Of course. She'd been thinking about it the wrong way all along. She wasn't the Emperor's slave and she never would be. She was not powerless—she had the force. In a rush, the power and wisdom of her Goddess flowed through Rey, giving her strength and resolve. She could do this. She _would_ do this. She _was_ the Goddess, was that great and terrible power that preserved Rome and held their world intact. And this man, this so called emperor, would destroy everything they held dear if she refused to act.

"No man shall defile one of _my_ virgins," Rey said with a wicked smile as her power pushed Hux back. The Emperor staggered as Rey stepped towards Kylo, hand outstretched as he slid his hand into hers, and she pulled him up with inhuman strength.

"My lady...?" he said, choking a little around the pain.

Rey looked up at him, but her eyes were not her own. Glowing faintly, her irises seemed to reflect the light of the galaxy back at him. Rey lifted a hand to his face and Kylo felt an eerie tingling as the knife slid out of his body and the seam of his wound stitched itself back together.

"Kylo Ren," she sighed, her voice taking on a deep, resonant tenor. "She is mine. For now. But one day….One day."

A promise. And a warning.

 _I love her_.

 _I know,_ her ancient gaze seemed to thrum with understanding. _But a vow made..._

Rey turned her head towards Hux and her face split into a gleeful grin. "And now, your power and influence ends."

The sky crackled, and the air seemed to hum with an unnatural energy. A shiver ran up Kylo's spine as his hair stood on end. Rey appeared to channel a great and ancient force, and Kylo finally came to realize there was no greater power in the galaxy than the force of the Gods.

As their power flowed through Rey, he understood they couldn't have picked a better champion.

* * *

With a power she did not realize she possessed, Rey stalked close to Hux and gazed into his vicious, crystalline eyes. Hux could only stare, mouth slack, as she pulled a blade into view—the very blade he'd stabbed Kylo with—as her power held Hux and his guards immobile. When she spoke, her voice was not her own. She was more than Rey. She was pure power and a force of nature to be reckoned with.

"You played with the Gods, Hux, and now you will pay for your trespasses," she said, her voice strangely deep.

Even at the end, he was a coward. "Please," he managed to squeak out as she rested the blade between the outline of his ribs.

"Maybe in another life," she offered as the blade pierced his skin and stole the life from his body.

Hux let out a pitiful, pained gasp while the blood flowed from his heart and over her hands. This was an offering to her Goddess, made on behalf of one that had wronged her in the past and would have kept spreading his blasphemy unless stopped. Turning away, Hux slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground as the force of Vesta's powers flowed through Rey's body.

Rey stared down at the blood on her hands, a part of herself, but not wholly her own.

The guards stared on, frozen by her power and terror.

"Leave and forget what you've seen here," she commanded them.

Their fear melted away as their eyes glazed. Without another word, the guards turned and left Kylo and Rey alone with the body of the Emperor.

Rey slid her bloody palms over her white gown, trailing vicious streaks down the fabric before turning her attention to Kylo. Her power expended, Rey collapsed in the dirt as Kylo scrambled forward, his eyes and hands searching for any wounds on her body.

Rey stared up at him and gave a little shake of her head. "I just killed the Emperor."

She'd always known that Capri would end with death, but she hadn't realized it would be the Emperor's. What were they going to do now? Rey took deep, calming breaths as she tried to believe that her Goddess had a plan for them, but at the moment, she seemed to be coming up short.

"We need to dispose of the body," Rey finally said.

"The cliffs," Kylo suggested before walking over to the fallen Hux.

As if he weighed nothing, Kylo hefted the man over his shoulders as he and Rey made their way towards the treacherous edge. Without grace or ceremony, Kylo dropped Emperor Hux over the cliff—the same way that so many others had been forced to die before at the Emperor's hands.

"A fitting end, I suppose," Kylo finally said.

"We need to get out of here," Rey replied while indicating the blood on her priestess' robes.

"Get to my carriage and let no one see you. I'll have my man bring you your things. Take it and get to the harbor. I have a man there, Lucian, he'll provide you safe passage across the bay."

He was going to take the fall for this, wasn't he?

"I'm not about to let you get blamed for this, Kylo," Rey started to argue.

"I won't. I'll follow soon after on horseback. The Emperor wasn't loved; if we can make it to Rome and before the senate, then I have faith that all will be well."

So many ifs. So little time to make a good decision. It felt like the world was driving a wedge between them both and forcing their separation. Maybe it was all for the best.

"Kylo...," Rey started, searching for the words that her heart longed to say.

 _I could have... We could have..._

"If only everything had been different," she finally said with a calmness she didn't feel.

The corner of Kylo's mouth turned a little as he replied, "I wouldn't have changed this for the world. Even a moment in this life with you is worth a thousand lifetimes without. You are safe and alive, as am I. We cannot ask for more from the Gods than that."

Rey's smile was sad as she stared up into his dark eyes. "No, I suppose not."

Kylo brushed his fingers along the line of her cheek. "Priestess."

"Kylo," she said while turning her head upwards. Kylo leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, soft, gentle, lingering…

"Go," he whispered against her mouth, even as his hands slid to her hips, holding her in place.

With great reluctance, Rey pulled away, one final caress along his palm as she turned and ran. One evil had been vanquished, but what world would they return to in Rome?

* * *

The empire endured as it had during so many other tumultuous times. The Emperor's death was regarded as a blessing and the next in the line of succession happened to be a battle tested but wise former General of Hux's father.

As if under the influence of divine intervention, none of the guards asked any questions nor raised an alarm. It was all treated as if Hux, who'd been known for his excesses, had misjudged the edge of the cliff and fallen into the water below, only to be swept up and broken against the unforgiving coast. Only Rey and Kylo knew the truth, but they kept it to themselves as they traveled back to the city separately.

The Emperor's loyal followers were few and harshly dealt with—in _private._ Publicly, it was announced that the Emperor had been taken by the Gods for his hubris and, as it was well in line with what people knew of him, the public largely accepted this change without much ire—especially given that commerce, and with that _food,_ had started to flow back into the city once more.

As the city settled into a new normal, Rey had tried to do the same, but still, her mind lingered on the thrilling and alluring Kylo Ren. She'd never be able to get the taste of his lips out of her mind, the way his hands had felt—so strong, so sure—on her body. For the first time in her life, she'd considered breaking her vow for him.

But it was not to be. Not now and probably not ever.

Weeks passed and Rey threw herself into her work with a renewed sense of devotion. She was nearly able to banish her almost-lover from her mind until he showed up again at her temple and found her in the relatively private gardens. Except this time, it wasn't to tease or bait her—no. Rey knew why he was there to see her. Every motion of his sizable body gave him away.

She'd thought that this day might come, but had hoped to delay it—to imagine that he was just out there, somewhere, waiting to visit her. To come and tease her, to make her laugh. To just be there, outside of her reach, but never far from her heart.

He looked as if he hadn't slept in weeks. Dark circles framed his brown eyes, giving his face a hollow, drained look.

Rey drew in a deep breath, but Kylo spoke first.

"I have come to say goodbye," he said, and even though they were the very words she'd been expecting they still felt like a knife in her gut. "I can't live like this. Knowing you're here..." _And not with me._

Rey let her anger surface. He was almost as bad as Hux, acting like she should just give up her vow because a _man_ wanted her. That wasn't how her life was going to work. She made the choice to be a priestess of Vesta and she was going to honor her vow because she wanted to.

"I am not a treasure you can claim for your own. I am a person and I have made my choice."

"Do I mean nothing to you?" he asked, his lip trembling.

He'd break her heart if she let him, but this was for the best. They were from different worlds and he'd never think of her as anything other than a prize to claim.

She was her own person.

A priestess.

And she would have love, on her terms.

"Does my vow mean nothing to you?"

"What right do the gods have to hold your life in their hands?"

"The way you wish to? This is _my choice._ This is _my life._ I will honor my vow or my word would be worth nothing. Would you have me break a vow that would make me a fugitive of Rome? Break a vow that would divorce me from the city that I love? Kylo, do I mean nothing _to you?_ "

And there it was, that dawn of understanding.

He loved her.

She loved him, but it wasn't enough. Not the way they both still were.

Kylo had lived so long with only ever getting what he desired that he never stopped to think that maybe the things he wanted weren't worth the trouble. Sometimes, completion only came with patience.

His broad chest expanded as he inhaled deeply, choosing his words carefully. "I can't stay here. This city is no good for me and caters to my vices."

They both knew what he was saying—if he left, he wouldn't be back.

Rey nodded stiffly. "I understand."

Even if she wished it could be different, there was no happy ending for them, not now. Not so cheaply. Still, she stepped close and let him wrap his arms around her body.

For the first time, Kylo seemed to shy under her gaze.

"Will you grant me this small boon?" he asked, voice choked.

Tears filled her eyes as she turned her face up towards his.

"Kiss me. And then leave me," she directed. It was what they both needed. There could be no alternative.

Kylo gently brushed the wisps of hair back from her face, his fingers lingering along her jaw before trailing downward. The rough skin of his hand scraped along the column of her throat before settling behind her neck.

Rey arched into his touch. It would have to be enough. It would have to last a lifetime. His lips brushed hers once, twice, as his arms encircled her waist, held her tight and exactly where he wanted her. Kylo's full mouth teased hers, sucking, nibbling, lingering in a way that reminded her of all that he'd done to her and all that he'd _do,_ if she only let him. This was a reminder, a punishment for them both, even as it was goodbye.

Her hand slid along his sculpted chest and clutched at the fabric of his robes as he deepened the kiss, tongue darting between lips to tangle sweetly with her own.

She wanted him. Wanted him more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life, but she couldn't have him. And as she returned his passionate kiss, she put everything she had into her answering touch—her longing, her sadness, her desire, the need that only ever seemed to increase between them with each passing moment.

Rey wasn't sure who pulled away first, but Kylo rests his forehead against hers as tears streamed down his cheeks. Her hand gently brushed his tears away.

"I would have loved you until the end of my days," he admitted, voice choked.

"Keep me in your heart," she shakily replied. "You will always be in mine."

His hands slid to Rey's shoulders, holding her in place. He stared down at her, tears filling those beautiful brown eyes and she thought he was going to pull back and leave, but he pulled her tight again—and held her like he never wanted to let her go.

His lips brushed against her brow as he murmured, "You will always be in my heart. _Always._ "

And then, he did pull back and step away—her whole body feeling the loss of his contact. It felt _wrong._ It broke her heart. But hers was the life of a priestess, and he... he was meant to live the life of a wealthy nobleman. She repeated how wrong they were for each other, over and over in her mind, but the only thing that felt wrong was how he was leaving her and she was going to let him.

Ren stepped back. And then another step. His body turned, and he walked towards the exit to the temple.

 _Now or never. Now or never. Now or never!_ Her heart and her mind cried.

And _never_ wins.

And as he stepped over the threshold and into the busy, brilliant city, her heart broke.

He paused as if waiting for her to call out to him, but didn't look back. Waited a moment longer before taking another step down, and then another, and another before he finally disappeared from view. Her hand clasped to her chest as the pain became a physical manifestation of her psyche. A choked cry escaped her lungs and resonated strangely throughout the empty garden, echoing through her very soul.

 _My vow. My vow. My vow._

It was meant to keep her safe—keep her heart safe—but Rey's life had been built for pain and it felt as if her suffering was to be as intrinsically linked to her vow as her celibacy or dedication to Rome.

She would live, she would serve, but she would never forget.

His eyes. That _smile._ It would haunt her.

Until the end of her days.


	5. Chapter 5

Years passed and Rey's life fell back into the same routine that had once brought her so much happiness—only, after Kylo, it felt hollow and predictable. She knew there was more, what it felt to _want_ more, and that was to be a part of her sacrifice now. A part of her penance for wanting more than what the Goddess had granted her.

But she found comfort in her devotion and eventually became a teacher to novice priestesses, as was the way of the Vestal Virgins, until one day, a strange messenger came bearing a scroll—the deed to a villa and control over the wealth of a long-forgotten Uncle.

When she was young and orphaned, she'd been taken into her service so quickly she'd not had much time to think of anything else. But somehow, this lost uncle had tracked her down, after all this time, and given her what had apparently been her father's by right, and with her status as a Vestal Virgin, this wealth had transferred to her—on the condition that this uncle be allowed to live with her as well.

And so, as the remaining years of her vow played themselves out in a blur of routine, she began to dream of a new home. Maybe even family. Near her thirty-seventh birthday, the day finally came and her service was complete, she left her fellow priestesses to start a new life in a new place, far outside the gaze of Rome.

When she first met her long lost uncle, she knew she'd adore him. With a ready smile and a keen sense of humor, he immediately found a place in her heart. Though somewhat strange and a bit eccentric, Uncle Obi had never married, but often spoke of a great love he'd lost. Rey found a kindred spirit in her wise and lonely uncle and a connection born of mutual grief.

She'd catch him staring out at the night sky with a far-away look in his eyes, and she'd known then. Rey often found herself in the same predicament when the quiet nights seemed endless—thinking of a devious laugh and sinful lips. But most of all, she missed his presence, and how he seemed to know what she was thinking before she said anything. She missed Kylo Ren and the connection they'd shared and the love.

After all that had happened, and all the time that had passed, she still loved him. Still wondered about him.

Her new home— _the villa_ —was huge and beautiful with a vast atrium and working fountain that she'd often sit by and meditate. But the real beauty was in the surroundings—beautiful stone pines lining the long entrance to the villa, surrounded by gorgeous rolling hills that became golden as the autumn settled over the countryside. The best part, though, was that it was close to a lake and Rey found herself, more often than not, sitting at the water's edge, imagining the dark, soulful eyes of the man she could never bring herself to forget.

He'd been so broken when he'd left her. So hurt. And, yet... She could not bring herself to regret the decision to uphold her vow and complete her commitment to her goddess. And, at the end of her time in the temple, she found herself a wealthy woman with land of her own, in control of her own finances, and afforded a measure of a power that was normally forbidden for women. Older, but not ravaged by time, she felt proud of herself and her accomplishments.

And she was happy.

Finn retired from his service as soon as her vow was complete, but he would visit Rey at her home as often as he could—and Poe as well. She loved her friends and her Uncle, but there was still an aching hollowness that haunted her. A darkness that never quite receded and ached at the edge of her remembrance.

She'd almost convinced herself that she'd forgotten him. Almost convinced herself that her heart was healed and that she didn't need him anymore. Until one day, caught completely unaware, Rey came to find herself staring into the deep and unforgettable gaze of Commander Kylo Ren, and she knew that she'd been wrong.

She'd _never_ be over this man and she still loved him just as much as the last time she'd seen him, not that she was ever going to make it easy for him.

"You look terrible." It was the first thing that came into her mind.

He did. Not quite as bad as the first time she'd met him, but very close to it. To his credit, he seemed to agree. With a sheepish smile, he patted at his dirty robes and gave her a half smile.

"You look like a goddess," he replied, his deep voice gravelly with disuse.

Had he been able to conquer the vices of his youth? Rey shook her head and let out a little snort as her hands clenched at her sides. She wanted _so_ badly to run and kiss him, but she couldn't be sure why he'd turned up at her doorstep. The last thing she wanted was to impose herself upon him if he no longer wanted her. The last time they'd spoken she'd made it _quite_ clear that she expected him to honor her vow, that she belonged to her Goddess... no matter how much her heart had objected.

"Kylo... Come inside. The servants can help you clean and then we can..." Rey gestured to the space between them both—what exactly _did_ he want?

"Talk," he answered for her. "We can talk."

She didn't want to talk. She wanted to pick up where they'd once left off, a long time ago before her vow had come between them before her own _fears_ had come between them.

With a nod, Rey turned and walked back towards her villa, the rocks crunching underfoot the only sounds between them. There was so much to say— _too_ much to say, and she didn't know where to begin. It would be better if he were able to compose himself a little so that they could be on equal footing. At least that was the lie that she told herself.

Really, _she_ needed time to sit and think about what she wanted to say. The last thing she needed was his eyes boring into her as she tried to find the words to tell him that she'd been in love with him for nearly over a decade and wanted nothing more than to be with him.

Did he still want her? She'd rejected him and his darkness. And he'd been... angry. Hurt. At night, she'd dream of words never said. The ghost of Kylo Ren cursing her for interfering with his life.

 _I regret the day you saved me._

Still, in other moments, moments that felt like shared dreams between them, he held her, made love to her, whispered that he'd come to her once he'd found his peace and she'd fulfilled her vow, and then not gods nor men would keep them apart.

"Ella," Rey called to one of her servants who was busy sweeping along the veranda of her villa. "Please get your brother. We have a guest and he needs attending."

The young servant gave a quick curtsey before darting off to find her brother.

"The bath is down the hall, third door on the right. It should be warm."

Her family had been fortunate enough to be able to afford heated plumbing.

"Will you not join me?" he asked, seemingly before he could think better of it.

Rey's breath caught in her throat. "I think it would be better to _talk_ first," she replied, but her voice was breathier than she'd intended.

She _was_ interested, but they both needed a moment. He took his time, long enough that Rey was pacing by the time he finally walked into the atrium _._ Now that he was clean, Rey could see that, though he was older, he was just as uncanny and handsome as ever. Age agreed with him, and she even found the small wrinkles around his eyes and the flecks of gray in his hair appealing. She wondered if he found her as handsome as she found him, but judging from his heated gaze, the way she looked wasn't a problem.

"Why now?" she asked as they both stood there, the soft sound of trickling water from her fountain the only noise in the otherwise abandoned space.

 _Alone. Very alone. Very, very alone._

"Your vow. My humanity," he replied as if it explained everything.

"Your humanity?" she prodded.

"I traced back the history of my family, with my mother's help. Tried to do right by my father after his death. Helped those who needed helping," he murmured as he stepped closer.

He was just as tall and broad as ever. Even the years hadn't lessened the physical impact he seemed to have on her. Rey's fingers twitched as she tried to resist reaching out for him.

 _Need to think. To understand._

But so much of what had been between them had always existed without words, why would it be any different now?

"You broke my heart," she accused.

"I'm here to apologize and offer myself into the service of your household," he said, deep voice lowering as he stepped in front of her, close enough that she could touch him if she wanted to.

Close enough that he could draw her against his big body and make her forget everything, the years and the heartache and all the time wasted— _everything._

"What would I do with a mercenary?"

Kylo licked his lips as his eyes trailed over Rey's face before finally settling on her mouth. " _Whatever_ your heart so desires, priestess."

"I'm not a priestess anymore," Rey whispered as she bridged the small gap between their bodies.

With surprising gentleness, Kylo gathered her close and dipped his head, lips brushing against the shell of her ear as he murmured, "I know."

"Why did you wait so long?" Rey whimpered as his lips tripped over the column of her throat.

"I looked for you at the temple, but they wouldn't tell me where you'd gone. I searched the city for anyone who knew anything about you, but not even my mother knew where you went and the fever made everything so difficult."

Rey had heard all about it. Both Poe and Finn had joined her at her villa while a devastating fever had ravaged the city. No one was spared as highborn and lowborn alike were struck down.

"Mmm," Rey managed as his tongue joined his mouth as he gave long, suckling kisses along her exposed flesh.

She'd wanted him for so long, and though she'd known it was right for them to be apart, it didn't mean she had to like it. She'd hated every moment as eternity had seemed to stretch between them, but now... _now._

"Sometimes, love requires patience," she said knowingly while her fingers tangled in the thick fabric of his borrowed robes.

"I'm all out of that," he admitted, arms wrapping tightly around her as her hands slipped between their bodies, seeking out that insistent hardness that she _so_ wanted to touch.

"Careful, Rey," he gasped as her nimble fingers brushed over his arousal.

"No, I'm through with that. I've paid my dues, and it's time to get my reward," she growled. She could feel him smile against her neck.

" _Your_ reward?" he asked.

"For my years of devoted service and _eternal_ patience."

How she'd lived so long without him she didn't know, but now that she had him back, she wasn't going to let him go.

"I never thought I would see you again," he admitted, voice low and thick with emotion. "When the fever hit Rome, there were so many bodies and not even the Vestal Virgins were spared... I expected the worst, but then..."

He paused as his lips brushed along the curve of her shoulder, placing lingering kisses as he tried to find the words to tell her how much she meant to him.

"You found Finn?" she guessed. He was the only person who would have known where she'd gone, aside from Poe.

"He found me, actually. He and Poe were back from a visit and stopped at the Temple of Vesta, where I'd been looking for you— to no end. Said I should seek you out; that you'd appreciate the visit. Said it was for _your_ benefit and not mine."

"Meddling matchmakers," Rey grumbled as Kylo brushed a gentle kiss against her skin.

Rey's hand slipped from Kylo's abdomen much to his displeasure, but she laughed and reached for his hand as she pulled away from his tempting kisses.

"Come. My private rooms."

Oh, he seemed to enjoy that idea very much and, after a pointed look, Rey found herself being effortlessly gathered into Kylo's arms.

"You don't know where my private quarters are," she reminded him as her lips latched onto an earlobe.

Kylo growled as she sucked. "Tell me."

"Down the hall. Third entrance on the right."

They were barely through the door before she was slipping down his body, her hands trailing low over his muscled abdomen.

"You know I haven't done this before..." she reminded him.

Kylo's head dipped as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I'll teach you."

"Oh, is that so?" she teased.

"That's so."

"But what if you can't compare to my _own_ touch?" she asked while her gaze trailed along his full lips.

Kylo's mind seemed to trip at her insinuation.

"Priestess," he hissed as if he was _imagining_ her touching her own body. "You'll just have to let me know if I live up to your imagination."

Inch by inch, Kylo bared her body until, finally, she stood before him, completely nude. She was about to complain about the unfairness of it, what with him being covered and all, but the look in his eyes stole her breath. She'd been waiting so long for this moment.

His dark gaze trailed over her exposed body, catching on the swell of her breasts, the curve of her thighs, the thatch of curls between her legs, before finally settling on her face. It was nothing and everything like she'd expected. A connection, profound and deeply satisfying, seemed to flow between them, like the power of her Goddess illuminating them both from the inside out.

"You feel like light and goodness itself," he marveled as his hands trailed wantonly over her body.

"You're a little rougher around the edges," she whispered while tugging at the layers of his robes. "But there's beauty in your darkness."

Kissing at every newly exposed inch of his skin, Rey let her hands skim along his thick body, fingers padding over his freckles—a path she imagined tracing with her lips—but Kylo seemed to have other plans. Both nude, he pulled her up into his arms again and walked them both over to her bed.

"I've dreamed of this for over a decade..." Kylo groaned as he laid her back and dipped his head between her legs.

With a gasp, Rey's hands threaded into his thick hair, pulling as Kylo slid his tongue along her. Just when she thought she was getting used to the _incredible_ sensation of his tongue, Kylo slipped a finger within, curling while his lips and tongue pushed her higher.

"So tight, priestess..." Kylo groaned.

Rey's hips wriggled as she nearly succumbed to the rising tide of pleasure within her.

"Please, please, _please!_ " she babbled as he trailed his tongue over that pearl of pleasure between her legs, his long, _thick_ fingers curling in time with his mouth.

Her fingers tightened in his thick hair, pulling hard enough that she _knew_ it must hurt, but it only seemed to spur him on. She had most certainly _never_ felt anything like this before and he _more_ than lived up to her imagination. With one final _wicked_ swipe of his tongue, Rey felt her release crash over her, but he didn't stop. Not until he'd pushed her over the edge another two times, not until her body was weak and aching for something _more,_ something she couldn't put into words.

"Please," she begged him, needing to feel his closeness and something infinitely more intimate than even what they'd already shared.

Kylo looked up at her, his gaze dark and needy.

"I live to serve, priestess," he growled as he pulled his muscular body over hers.

Gently and achingly slow, Kylo pressed within her, watching and feeling every cue she gave him.

Rey wiggled her hips to urge him on, but he growled in warning, "I don't want this to hurt."

"It won't. I promise," she assured him, needy for his body to be _completely_ within hers.

Kylo let out a low chuckle as he guided himself further in. " _You_ promise?"

And all at once the strange connection that had once seemed to flow between them flashed into vivid existence once more, blinding them both with the intensity of the feelings between them. Together, they existed somewhere outside of time, somewhere outside of even the physical world. Only the two of them and the strange _rightness_ of their feelings for each other, and as Kylo slid completely within her, they were both overwhelmed with the reality that they both had the _rest of their lives_ to experience it all.

* * *

Later, _much_ later, they lay in each other's arms, tired but well loved as they talked about Kylo's travels, Rey's life, and everything important and nonsensical in-between.

"Some things can be worth the wait," Kylo mused as Rey pinched his side.

"Funny, it took _this_ long for you to learn some patience and understanding," she returned.

"Ouch. Priestess, you wound me," he replied with a laugh. "Is it all that you'd expected?"

Rey mused, pulling her lip between her teeth as she snuggled closer into his broad, warm chest.

"Well, this isn't the _only_ thing I imagined, but some things are what I expected. And some things are _bigger_ than expected," she mused.

Kylo choked while pulling his arms tight around her body.

"And what would you know about that sort of thing, priestess?" he wondered.

Rey tapped his nose. "I have seen sculptures, you know. But you'd definitely put the masters to shame... In more than one way."

A deep laugh rumbled from within his chest. "Allow me to continue with my _demonstrations_ then."

"Please do," she said with a laugh, as he trailed kisses down, down, _down_ her abdomen.

And as he slipped his tongue between her legs and put himself in that most _vulnerable_ of positions, again, Rey thought that her goddess had _definitely_ delivered, and she was going to be able to spend the rest of her life seeing exactly what it was like to be loved by Kylo Ren.

Her light could not overtake the darkness within him, but it was to be a compliment—she could see that now. They fit. Like two pieces of a broken whole. Her light and his dark blending into something treasured, something strange and beautiful.

They had much time to make up for.

* * *

UPDATE! The wonderful aionimica did some gorgeous fanart for this piece and I could cry it's so perfect. Head over and send her some love! Thanks so much for reading and indulging this little AU :)


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